Gujarat Dy CM lays foundation stone for women's shelter home in Surat
Surat, June 20
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a 'Nari Sanrakshan Grih' to be constructed at Ghoddod Road in Surat at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore, and later chaired a review meeting on the Halpati Housing Scheme at the Surat Collector's Office, focusing on housing access and land rights for the Halpati and tribal communities.
The new G+2 shelter home will have the capacity to accommodate 101 women who are victims of violence and exploitation. Officials stated that the facility is intended to provide immediate protection and rehabilitation support to vulnerable women.
At present, the existing Nari Sanrakshan Grih at Jananidham Campus in Amboli of Kamrej taluka, is sheltering 24 women and one child, all of whom are survivors of domestic violence, gender-based violence or other forms of abuse.
They are expected to be relocated to the new facility once construction is completed.
Earlier in the day, the Deputy Chief Minister chaired a detailed review meeting on the implementation of the Halpati Housing Scheme, during which issues related to housing allocation, land ownership and inheritance rights for members of the Halpati and tribal communities in Surat city and SUDA areas were discussed.
The meeting examined cases in which eligible beneficiaries had not yet received scheme benefits due to administrative or technical issues.
It was decided that a joint committee comprising representatives from the administration, Surat Municipal Corporation, District Panchayat and the Halpati Housing Board would be formed to identify bottlenecks and ensure the timely resolution of pending applications.
Officials were also instructed to expedite the issuance of property cards, correct administrative discrepancies, and provide necessary legal guidance to address long-pending inheritance matters.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri SVAmitva Scheme in the district, with emphasis on accelerating the issuance of land and property ownership documents to eligible beneficiaries.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative but Rs 16 crore for a G+2 building sounds excessive. Hope the money is used transparently and actually benefits the women, not just contractors. Also happy to see Halpati housing scheme getting attention - these tribal communities have been neglected for too long. Property cards will give them dignity.
Ye toh bahut accha hua! Women shelter and tribal housing both in one day - that's efficiency. But I hope they also focus on the root cause - domestic violence and why women end up needing such shelters. Awareness in villages is equally important. Still, better late than never 👏
The Halpati Housing Scheme review is crucial. These communities have faced land rights issues for decades. Formation of joint committee is a practical step but implementation will be key. Hope the property cards under SVAMitva scheme are issued without delays - no more paperwork hurdles for poor families.
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